How to Protect Warehouse Floors from Water Seepage in MIDC Areas

If you are a warehouse owner / manager in any of the MIDC areas of Pune like Chakan, Bhosari, Ranjangaon, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Talegaon, you know that the monsoon is not just a nuisance. It poses a direct threat to your operations, your inventory and your flooring.

One of the most common and the most underestimated problems in the industrial premises in Maharashtra is seepage of water through the floor in the warehouses. It begins with one small spot of water that grows into a crack, one small spot of water that becomes a flood, one spot that becomes a whole area of watered down products, a spot that becomes a racking system compromised by corrosion, one spot that becomes a wet floor and slip hazard.

Fortunately, this is preventable. This guide helps you understand precisely why warehouse floors in MIDC areas are particularly susceptible to harm and what you can do to guard them for the long-term. If you're thinking for a complete waterproofing solution in Pune or want to know your options, read on. 

MIDC Warehouse Floors are particularly susceptible to damage.MIDC Warehouse Floors are highly prone to damage.

Why MIDC Warehouse Floors Are Especially Vulnerable

All warehouse floors do not present the same risk. In Pune, there are certain conditions related to the MIDC facility that can cause water seepage to be more likely.

High Groundwater Levels

Numerous plots with naturally high groundwater table in low-lying area of Bhosari and Chakan are located within MIDC. This is called hydrostatic pressure and during and after heavy monsoon rains, this water is forced upward through the soil and enters any crack or joint in your concrete floor. This can't be fixed by mopping the surfaces. The water source is from below.

Age of the Facility

Many of the warehouse buildings in the older warehouses in the MIDC areas of Pune were constructed during the 1990s and early 2000s. Concrete used during those years is structurally sound, but not always with modern waterproofing membranes below. The concrete surfaces will crack, crack, and crack again over 20-30 years of thermal expansion, contraction and heavy vehicle traffic and become a place for moisture to enter the concrete.

Heavy Floor Traffic

The floors in warehouses were subjected to all kinds of stress from forklifts, pallet jacks and heavy goods vehicles. This traffic is responsible for micro-fractures to the concrete over time, particularly around loading bays and movement corridors. These fractures allow rain water, cleaning water, and groundwater to percolate in.

Poor Original Construction

Many of the MIDC facilities were not originally constructed with sufficient sub-base compaction and lack a damp-proof membrane under the slab. This is not the fault of the present owner, it was not done that way back then! But it means that there is always no protection underneath the floor.

Drainage Design Failures

Some older warehouse designs were never planned to have sufficient perimeter drainage, or the drainage slopes may have become leveled as the floors have settled. Water should flow away and collect around walls and enter into the walls.

The true cost of not addressing Warehouse Floor Seepage

It is important before discussing solutions to understand what is really being lost when you do not address the issue of water seepage.

Inventory Damage — If water is rising from the floor, anything stored at ground level will be affected by inventory damage. Any cardboard packaging, fabric, electronic products, food items, and raw materials are all at risk. If the inventory is subject to unchecked seepage for one monsoon season, it can be a loss of large value.

Racks and Equipment Corrosion — Any steel racking or equipment bases exposed to a wet floor will start corroding from the bottom up. A slow but serious structural risk.

Workers' Safety — Wet & damp floors are a slip hazard. This can be a big risk in a busy warehouse where vehicles are in motion and people are walking around.

Floor Structural Damage — When water penetrates the concrete slab, it reaches the reinforcement steel inside the concrete slab, known as "floor structural damage." As the rebar corrodes, it expands, which leads to a cracking and spalling of the concrete from the inside, known as "concrete cancer." This is much more costly to repair than prevent. That is why it is better to hire a trusted waterproofing contractor in Pune instead of waiting when the damage occurs at this stage.

Mold and Air Quality — With a product such as mold and air quality, moisture will lead to mold formation and affect the air quality and hence be a compliance issue in food-grade warehouses or pharmaceuticals.

How to Assess Your Warehouse Floor Before Treating It

Before deciding on waterproofing solutions, it's vital to conduct a thorough investigation of the issue. Not applying the product on the right surface is a waste of time and money.

Step 1 — Visual Inspection

Walk the entire floor systematically looking for any cracks, joints that have come open, damp spots, efflorescence (white salt deposits on the surface of the flooring), or peeling of the floor coating.

Step 2 — Moisture Testing

An easy and effective plastic sheet test. Put up a 1 m by 1 m piece of plastic sheeting on the ground and leave it for 24 hours. If moisture is trapped below, then it is a sign of moisture transmission from beneath. This indicates that the surface treatment won't be sufficient.

Step 3 — Check Perimeter Joints

The vertical joint between the floor slab and the wall is another common place of seepage that is often overlooked—a typical seepage area. Look for gaps, cracks, or deteriorating sealant in this connection across the structure.

At Step 4, verify loading bay thresholds.

A common vulnerable zone is the juncture of the warehouse floor and the loading dock or outside loading dock. Rainwater runs into the building through these areas during heavy rains.

It is essential to use the right waterproofing solutions for warehouse flooring.

Choosing the right waterproof solutions for warehouse floors is crucial.

No one product fits all situations. The right waterproofing solution in Pune is dependent on the amount of seepage, condition of the present floor, and application of the warehouse. The following is a list of the most important options.

Crystalline Waterproofing Treatment

One of the best solutions for floors that have active below ground hydrostatic pressure is crystalline waterproofing. It is used by penetrating deeply into the hardened concrete and creating insoluble crystals in the capillary pores of concrete. These crystals seal off the water movement in the concrete physically. The biggest benefit of crystalline waterproofing is that it is applied from within, which means that it isn't peeling, cracking, or wearing due to traffic, as surface-applied membranes do.

This is especially applicable to older MIDC warehouses that had no original membrane and cannot do the excavation and re-laying. If done correctly by a professional waterproofing contractor in Pune, crystalline treatment can provide decades of protection and little maintenance.

Epoxy Floor Coating

In warehouses where surface water is the main issue—cleaning water, spills, rain, etc. coming in from open bays—a high-build epoxy floor coating offers an impermeable surface layer. A well-designed industrialepoxy floor coating system applied to a properly prepared concrete floor is waterproof from the top and forms a seamless surface without joints or cracks.

In industrial food, pharmaceutical, and chemical facilities, where protection and hygiene are crucial, epoxy floor coating is particularly favored. It is also very resistant to chemicals, oils and heavy wear and tear and therefore one of the most beneficial investments for the owners of the warehouses in Pune.

polyurethane Floor Coating.

Polyurethanes are more flexible than epoxy flooring and are much more tolerant of thermal movement and vibration or temperature/paneling changes in a warehouse environment. Urethane (PU) floor coating Unlike epoxy flooring, polyurethanes are more flexible and will better withstand thermal movement and vibration, or variations in temperature and panning, in a warehouse environment. Polyurethane (PU) floor coating will slightly move and not crack and will remain intact over joints and control joints in the slab, whereas rigid epoxy floor coatings may crack in some situations.

Large warehouses in Ranjangaon or Talegaon MIDC have a significant temperature difference between summer and monsoon seasons; in such conditions, the best waterproofing company in Pune. 
recommends a long-term solution, which is polyurethane (PU) floor coating.

Joint and Crack Treatment

If existing cracks and joints are not treated, then no coating or membrane will work properly. Any cracks that are currently open should be routed, cleaned, and sealed with a flexible polyurethane sealant prior to any surface treatment. With the movement of the slab, rigid fillers will simply crack again.

A flexible waterstop or sealant system suitable for use on the perimeter joint between floor and wall should be used.

Sub-floor drainage (For severe cases)

When hydrostatic pressure is a serious issue in warehouses and is not being solved by surface application of waterproofing materials, the use of a sub-floor drainage channel system may be necessary. This includes the layout of the perimeter of the floor slab with cuts and the placement of drainage pipes and/or directing water to a sump pump. This is a more radical solution but may be the only real long-term solution for badly affected premises—and a good waterproofing contractor in Pune will always consider whether this is needed before taking this approach.

Some of the Rewards of a Professional Waterproofing Treatment:

You don't get a waterproofing job done in a day on a warehouse floor. So, how should the best waterproofing company in Pune's process be like?

Surface preparation—The floor is shot blasted and/or ground to clean and remove all dust, oil, old coatings, and laitance. This is the most important step. A dirty or weak surface will not accept a proper bond, no matter what kind of waterproofing system is used, such as epoxy floor coating, polyurethane (PU) floor coating, or crystalline waterproofing.

Crack and Joint Repair — All of the identified cracks and joints are repaired one by one prior to the application of the major coating.

Primer Application — A penetrating primer is applied to bond the waterproofing material into the concrete and not just on the top surface.

Main Waterproofing Layer — Next main layer of coating or treatment, applied at the indicated thickness. In the case of epoxy systems, this is normally two or more coats to give the desired dry film thickness.

Inspection and Cure Time — The floor is inspected for pinholes, thin spots, or missed areas, and the floor is cured completely before traffic is returned to it. This is a stage that is often rushed and which can cause early failure.

Maintenance After Waterproofing

Waterproofing is not a "one and done" solution; it needs to be maintained. To get the maximum life from your treatment:

• Check the floor once every year, particularly before and after each monsoon season;
• Recaulk open spaces and/or places where movement is observed.
• Replace and repair damaged or worn sections of the coating, especially where vehicles are likely to damage the coating, including loading bays.
• Ensure drainage channels and floor drains are kept clear

A polyurethane floor coating or a well-maintained epoxy floor coating in a warehouse can last for 8-12 years before a complete recoat is needed. When installed properly, crystalline waterproofing is almost permanent in the concrete structure.

Choosing the Right Waterproofing Contractor in Pune

Not every contractor will be able to work with industrial floor systems. If you are in the process of considering the waterproofing contractor in Pune that you are looking to hire, then here are some questions that you need to ask:

• Ever had any experience in a warehouse or industrial plant?
• Use grinding, shot blasting, or cleaning only?
• Are there other MIDC projects like this that you can cite as a reference?
• What is your warranty for the applied system?
• Using manufacturer-specified systems or mixing products randomly?

 

If the contractor cannot easily answer these questions, then he is not the right man for an industrial job. The top waterproofing company in Pune will examine your facility extensively, suggest the appropriate mix of solutions, and back them with a definite warranty.

Final Word    

Water seepage in the floors of warehouses is a matter that will continue to grow worse, rather than better, over time. If you don't treat your concrete each monsoon season, it continues to get further damaged, you continue to risk damage to your inventory, and the repair job will cost more in the future.

The MIDC areas at Pune are receiving some of the highest industrial floor traffic in Maharashtra, with a high amount of monsoon rains. It requires a serious and professional waterproofing solution in Pune and is not a last-minute remedy done a week before the rains.

When your warehouse is displaying any of the tell-tale signs outlined in this article, it's time to take action—before the next monsoon season decides to take you over.

Weather Fighter, one of the most reliable waterproofing companies in Pune, is also one of the top brands when it comes to industrial protective coatings in Maharashtra. Epoxy floor coating, polyurethane floor coating, crystalline waterproofing, and full waterproofing solutions are provided by us in Pune for factories, warehouses, and industrial units located in all the MIDC zones. Call us now and let us do an estimate of your site free of charge.